Managing supply and demand for a ware

ABSTRACT

Among other disclosed subject matter, a method for managing supply and demand for a ware includes obtaining requirement information for a ware, the requirement information representing a forecasted demand for the ware at a specified time. The method includes generating supply information for the ware, generating pegging information, obtaining order information for the ware, modifying the requirement information and updating the pegging information. Any remainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information that is not consumed by the order remains associated with the supply information in the pegging information.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates to managing supply and demand for a ware.

BACKGROUND

Organizations use computer-based systems to controls some aspects ofsupplying wares. For example, a supply chain management system can beused to plan and/or execute the manufacture or procurement of goods thatare to be sold to customers. Such systems can allow certain aspects ofthe process to be scheduled and specified, such as the amount of goodsneeded, when the delivery should take place, what machinery or otherresources are to be used, to name a few examples.

Some systems have separate planning components. For example, someproducts from SAP AG include a Materials Requirement Planning componentthat can be used to plan the requirements for one or more materials,such as a raw material or a product. The output of a planning componentcan be based on forecasts of what future demands will be, and the plancan then be used to organize, analyze and/or execute operations in theorganizations. For example, a plan can be laid out ahead in time, andmore specific requirements such as sales orders can be added to the planto replace parts thereof as they become available.

SUMMARY

The invention relates to managing supply and demand for a ware.

In a first aspect, a computer-implemented method for managing supply anddemand for a ware includes obtaining requirement information for a ware,the requirement information representing a forecasted demand for theware at a specified time. The method includes generating supplyinformation for the ware representing that a quantity of the ware is tobe supplied. The method includes generating pegging information thatassociates the requirement information with the supply information. Themethod includes obtaining order information for the ware representing anorder that matches the specified time and that comprises a demand forthe ware. The method includes modifying the requirement information, inresponse to the order information, to indicate a consumption of theforecasted demand by the demand of the order. The method includesupdating the pegging information, in response to the order information,to associate the order information with the supply information. Anyremainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information thatis not consumed by the order remains associated with the supplyinformation in the pegging information.

Implementations can include any, all or none of the following features.A consumption logic can perform the modification of the requirementinformation. A time scale for recording orders and requirements can bedivided into time sections, and the consumption logic can provide thatthe order is attempted to be matched against any existing supplies in apriority order of: (1) first against any supply in a same time sectionas the order; (2) if no match is found in (1), thereafter against anysupply in a time section adjacent the same time section as the order;and (3) if no match is found in (1) and (2), thereafter against anysupply in a time section earlier than the same time section as theorder. The updating of the pegging information can be based on theconsumption logic. The method can further include obtaining a revisionof the order information that changes an aspect of the order; andupdating the pegging information according to the revision. The aspectof the order can be at least one selected from a delivery date of theorder and a quantity of the ware demanded by the order. Generating thepegging information can include identifying the supply information, towhich the requirement information is to be associated, by: identifyingthe supply information by searching, using the specified time, a timescale of supply dates in reverse chronological order starting at thespecified time. The order information can fully consume the requirementinformation and updating the pegging information can include reassigningthe pegging information from the requirement information to the orderinformation. A time scale for recording orders and requirements can bedivided into time sections, and the time scale can be configured to useonly one requirement information for the ware per time section. Themethod can further include updating, using the obtained requirementinformation, an existing requirement information in one of the timesections to which the obtained requirement information applies. Theexisting requirement information can be associated with an existingsupply information in an existing pegging information. The pegginginformation can indicate that the requirement information is associatedwith the supply information for an extent to which the existing supplyinformation does not cover the forecasted demand for the ware. Themethod can further include providing a user with access to the orderinformation, the access indicating the supply information as associatedwith the order information by the updated pegging information. Thesupply information can also be associated with another requirementinformation. The method can further include providing access to theother requirement information through the order information. The supplyinformation may not fully cover the demand for the ware by the order,and the method can further include providing that the user can select tohave at least some of the other requirement information consumed by thedemand of the order. The ware can be at least one selected from aproduct and a service. The method can further include using the updatedpegging information to control manufacture of the ware for the orderaccording to the supply information.

In a second aspect, a computer program product is tangibly embodied in acomputer-readable storage medium and includes instructions that whenexecuted by a processor perform a method for managing supply and demandfor a ware. The method includes obtaining requirement information for aware, the requirement information representing a forecasted demand forthe ware at a specified time. The method includes generating supplyinformation for the ware representing that a quantity of the ware is tobe supplied. The method includes generating pegging information thatassociates the requirement information with the supply information. Themethod includes obtaining order information for the ware representing anorder that matches the specified time and that comprises a demand forthe ware. The method includes modifying the requirement information, inresponse to the order information, to indicate a consumption of theforecasted demand by the demand of the order. The method includesupdating the pegging information, in response to the order information,to associate the order information with the supply information. Anyremainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information thatis not consumed by the order remains associated with the supplyinformation in the pegging information.

Implementations can include any, all or none of the following features.The instructions that cause the modification of the requirementinformation can be included in a consumption logic. A time scale forrecording orders and requirements can be divided into time sections, andthe consumption logic can provide that the order is attempted to bematched against any existing supplies in a priority order of: (1) firstagainst any supply in a same time section as the order; (2) if no matchis found in (1), thereafter against any supply in a time sectionadjacent the same time section as the order; and (3) if no match isfound in (1) and (2), thereafter against any supply in a time sectionearlier than the same time section as the order. The instructions thatcause the updating of the pegging information can be based on theconsumption logic.

In a third aspect, a computer system includes a planning moduleobtaining requirement information for a ware. The requirementinformation represents a forecasted demand for the ware at a specifiedtime. The computer system includes a supply module generating supplyinformation for the ware representing that a quantity of the ware is tobe supplied. The computer system includes pegging logic generatingpegging information that associates the requirement information with thesupply information. The computer system includes an order moduleobtaining order information for the ware representing an order thatmatches the specified time and that comprises a demand for the ware. Thecomputer system includes consumption logic modifying the requirementinformation, in response to the order information, to indicate aconsumption of the forecasted demand by the demand of the order. Thepegging logic updates the pegging information to associate the orderinformation with the supply information, and provides that any remainderof the forecasted demand of the requirement information that is notconsumed by the order remains associated with the supply information inthe pegging information.

Implementations can provide any, all or none of the followingadvantages. A more efficient organization of supply and demand for aware can be obtained. Pegging of ware requirements can be improved.Pegging logic can be coordinated with consumption logic. Orderinformation can be pegged to the supply or supplies to which therequirement(s) consumed by the order were pegged. Order information canbe pegged to a supply or supplies not planned to cover the sales order.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an example of a system that can be used for managing supplyand demand of a ware.

FIGS. 2A-B show examples of requirement information, supply informationand order information for a ware.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a method that can be performed for managingsupply and demand of a ware.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computing system that can be used inconnection with computer-implemented methods described in this document.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an example of a system 100 that can be used for managingsupply and demand of a ware. The system 100 here includes a customerrelationship management (CRM) system 102 that can be used to managecustomer relationships, for example by receiving and processing salesorders and managing correspondence relating to CRM. The CRM system hereincludes an order management module 104 that can be used to perform anyor all aspects of order processing, such as providing that a salesrepresentative (or someone else, such as the customer) can enter thenecessary sales and customer information. The CRM system is here shownas including a single order 106 but in some implementations can beconfigured for receiving and processing many more orders, such asmillions of orders or more. For example, the order module 104 canprovide that the sales order be entered in terms of the product beingordered, how many units of the product are being sold, and the date whenthe product should be shipped. Thus, the system 100 can, for examplethrough the order module 106, obtain order information for a warerepresenting an order that represents a demand for the ware at aspecified time. Below will be described examples of associating eitheror both of the order information and a forecasted demand for the productwith corresponding supply information about the product.

The above and other examples herein refer to products being suppliedand/or demanded. Other wares than products can be considered as well. Insome implementations, wares such as services can be supplied and/ordemanded, for example in a computer system that schedules availabilityof consultants or other professionals. Thus, a ware can be either aproduct or a service, or both, to name some examples. Also, while insome examples it is described that products of one type are beingdemanded and supplied, in other implementations more than one type ofproduct can be supplied, for example by a company having a manufacturingplant that makes many different products.

The system 100 here includes a supply chain management (SCM) system 108that can be used to manage any or all aspects of the supply of a ware.For example, the SCM system can be used to forecast the need forproducts in the future and to schedule and execute the production orprocurement of such products to meet requirements, such as from theforecasted demands or more concrete demands from actual sales orders.This processing and/or other processing can be performed eithersubstantially without user input or output, such as in an essentiallyautomated system. In other implementations, however, user input and/oroutput can be provided. Users can participate in sales order entry,forecasting scheduling or order execution, to name a few examples. Suchparticipation can take place using one or more input/output devices 110,for example a display monitor and an input device such as a keyboard ormouse. For this and/or other purposes, the CRM system 102 and the SCMsystem 108 can be configured to generate one or more user interfaces 112that can be output to the input/output device 110.

The CRM system 102, the SCM system 108 and/or the input/output device110 can be connected using any kind of network 114, for example a localarea network or the Internet. In some implementations, the input/outputdevice 110 is a client device with regard to at least one of the CRMsystem 102 and the SCM system 108.

The SCM system 108 here includes a planning module 116 that can be usedfor planning a requirement for one or more wares. For example, aMaterials Requirement Planning component available in products from SAPAG can be used for planning. The planning can involve making one or moreforecasts of future demand for a product, such as by estimating a demandfor a product six months or more into the future. The planning module116 can take into account internal and/or external information in suchforecasting, for example by looking at the amounts of products suppliedin the part, or the amount of orders received in the CRM module 102.Thus, the system 100 can, for example through the planning module 116,obtain requirement information for a ware representing a forecasteddemand for the ware at a specified time.

The SCM system 108 here includes a supply module 118 that can be usedfor managing any or all aspects of the supply of one or more wares. Thesupply can involve scheduling a supply of a certain amount of the ware(e.g., a specified number of units of a product type to be delivered, ora specified amount of consultation time to be provided) at a particulartime. For example, the supply module can schedule that 100 units of aproduct are to be manufactured in the month of April. Thus, the systemcan, for example through the supply module 118, generate supplyinformation for a ware representing that a quantity of the ware is to besupplied.

The system 100 can initiate the execution of supplying a product. Forexample, the supply module 118 can access a manufacturing module 120 toinitiate product manufacturing. The manufacturing module 120 can controla manufacturing plant, robotic machinery and/or other equipment tomanufacture a specific number of products to be supplied. Thus, thesystem can, for example using the manufacturing module 120, controlmanufacture of the ware for the order according to supply information.

The system 100 here includes pegging logic 122 that can be used toassociate requirements for a ware with planned supply for that ware.Such an association can be stored in form of pegging information in thesystem 100. For example, the pegging information can associate aforecasted demand for 100 units of a product with a planned supply of atleast 100 units of the product. Thus, the system 100 can, for exampleusing the pegging logic 122, generate pegging information thatassociates requirement information with supply information. Such anassociation can be useful, for example by indicating what requirementmay have prompted a certain supply to be scheduled, or by indicatingthat the forecasted demand of a certain requirement is scheduled to bemet by the planned output of a certain supply of product.

The system 100 here includes consumption logic 124 that can be used toassociate sales order information with one or more existing requirementsfor a ware. Such an association can be stored in form of reducing anexisting requirement for the ware by an amount corresponding to thedemand of the order. In some implementations, the reduction can beconsidered as an at least partial consumption of the requirementinformation by the sales order, hence the name of the logic 124. Thus,the system 100 can, for example using the consumption logic 124, modifyrequirement information to indicate a consumption of a forecasted demandby the demand of an order.

When the forecasted demand of a requirement is partially or entirelyconsumed by a sales order, pegging information for at least thatrequirement can be updated accordingly. For example, an associationbetween requirement information and supply information can be updated toalso, or instead, associate the supply information with the sales orderthat in whole or in part consumed the requirement information. Anyremainder of the forecasted demand of the requirement information thatis not consumed by the order can remain associated with the supplyinformation in the pegging information. In some implementations, then,the updating of the pegging information can be based on the consumptionlogic 124.

FIGS. 2A-B show examples of requirement information, supply informationand order information for a ware. A time scale 200 here indicates timeon a horizontal axis and supply (e.g., numbers of products or amount ofconsultant time) on a vertical axis. Forecasted demands for products arehere illustrated as staples directed downward from the time axis(because a demand represents a potential decrease in the supply of theproduct). In this example, three exemplary requirements 202A-C are shownin the time scale. The height of each of the requirements 202A-Cindicates the amount that is forecasted to be demanded. In otherexamples, more or fewer requirements can be included in the time scale.Thus, requirement information corresponding to the three requirements202A-C can be generated by the planning module 116 and stored in thesystem 100, for example.

In contrast to the forecasted demands, scheduled supplies of product areindicated as arrows directed upward from the time axis (because a supplyrepresents a potential increase in the available supply of the product).The time scale 200 here includes three exemplary supplies 204A-C. Theheight of each of the supplies 204A-C indicates the amount that isplanned to be supplied. In other examples, more or fewer supplies can beincluded in the time scale. Thus, supply information corresponding tothe three supplies 204A-C can be generated by the supply module 118 andstored in the system 100, for example.

Each of the requirements 202A-C is here “pegged” (i.e., connected) toone or more of the supplies 204A-C using pegs 206A-C. That is, therequirement 202C is pegged to the supply 204C using peg 206C; therequirement 202B is pegged to the supply 204B using peg 206B1 and to thesupply 204B using peg 206B2; and the requirement 202A is pegged to thesupply 204A using peg 206A 1 and also to a stock 208 using a peg 206A2.The stock 208 represents available product that has been suppliedearlier; e.g., products in a warehouse that have been manufacturedaccording to earlier supplies 204. Thus, while the stock 208 in thisexample is not explicitly referred to as a supply, it represents asupply of the ware that can be used to meet the demands of orders and/orother requirements.

Two or more pegs leading from a requirement (e.g., the pegs 202B1 and202B2) indicate that this forecasted demand is to be met with two ormore separate supplies. Similarly, two or more pegs leading to a supply(e.g., the pegs 206A1 and 206B2) indicate that this supply is scheduledto meet two or more separate requirements.

The time scale 200 can be divided into time sections 210. For example,each of the time sections 210 can represent a discrete amount of timefrom a fraction of a second to a day or a month or even a longer timeperiod. In the illustrated example the time sections 210 are of equallength but in other implementations can have different lengths. In someimplementations, the time scale is configured such that more than onerequirement and/or supply can be included in any time section. Inothers, only one requirement 202 and/or supply 204 is used for each timesection.

In any implementation, requirement information can be updated as needed.For example, assume that a requirement 202D were originally plannedbased on a forecasted demand, and that later this forecasted demandshould be increased to reflect the additional expected demand. Theexisting requirement 202D can then be updated, based on the additionalforecasted demand, resulting in the requirement 202C. The increase ishere made in the requirement 202D (and not in any of the requirements202B or C) because the additional forecasted demand was determined toapply to the time section of the requirement 202D. If the extraforecasted demand represented by the requirement 202C is covered by thesame supply as the requirement 202D (i.e., the supply 204C), then thepeg 206C can remain as the sole peg leading from the requirement 202C.In contrast, should the entire demand of the requirement 202C not becovered by the supply 204C, then the requirement 202C can have anotherpeg (not shown) to another available supply. That is, the pegginginformation can indicate that the requirement information is associatedwith the supply information for an extent to which the existing supplyinformation does not cover the forecasted demand for the ware.

Any of the pegs 206 can be generated by the pegging logic by startingwith a given requirement and looking backward in time on the time scale200 for an available supply of the ware. For example, the requirement202B can be pegged by first creating the peg 206B2 to the supply 204A,to the extent ware supply is available from that supply, and thencreating the peg 202B1 for any remainder of the forecasted demand of therequirement 202B that cannot be met by the supply 204A. Thus, the system100 can, for example using the pegging logic 122, generate pegginginformation by identifying supply information using a search of a timescale of supply dates in reverse chronological order starting at thespecified time for the requirement.

An example of receiving order information, and modifying requirementinformation and updating pegging information in response thereto, willnow be described with reference also to FIG. 2B. Assume that the salesorder 106 is received (e.g., using the order module 104). The salesorder demands a certain amount of the ware to be delivered at a specificdelivery date. The order represents an actual need for one or more ofthe supplies 204, at least in part, and/or a need for the stock 208.Therefore, the demand of the order will consume some of the forecasteddemand of the requirements 204.

Here, order information 212 is entered in the time scale 200 in a sameone of the time periods 210 as the existing requirement 202A. The timeperiod can be chosen by the system 100, for example by the consumptionlogic 124. Moreover, the consumption logic can also be executed todetermine which of the requirements 202 to be consumed. Here, therequirement 202A is consumed entirely, meaning that its forecasteddemand is fully consumed by the actual demand of the order correspondingto order information 212. A portion of requirement 202B is also consumedby the order information 212, as indicated by the portion thereof thatis not highlighted. Thus, in response to order information beingobtained that comprises a demand for the ware, requirement informationis modified in the above example to indicate a consumption of theforecasted demand by the demand of the order.

Some or all of the pegs 206 will be updated. In the system 100, forexample, the pegging logic 122 can perform the updating. Here, the pegs206A1 and 206A2, which used to lead from the requirement 202A, no longerappear after the updating. Instead, peg 206D leads from the orderinformation 212 to the supply 204B, peg 206E to the requirement 204A andpeg 206F to the stock 208. That is, the order information 212 is nowpegged to requirements and stock, in this example, to cover the actualdemand for the ware represented by the sales order. Moreover, becausesome of the forecasted demand of the requirement 202B is not consumed atthis point, the peg 202B1 continues to lead from there to the supply204B. However, the peg 202B1 in this example has been updated toindicate that this requirement covers less of the supply 204B than itdid before, because some of that supply is now covered by the orderinformation 212 as mentioned.

In some implementations, the updating of pegging information can proceedas follows. Consumption in full of the requirement 202A means that thesales information 212 should take over the pegs 206A1 and 206A2 of thisrequirement. The pegs 206E and 206F can then be generated by reassigningthe pegs 206A1 and 206A2 from the requirement 202A to the orderinformation 212. Thus, when the order information fully consumes therequirement information, the pegging information can be updated byreassigning the pegging information from the requirement information tothe order information. The peg 202B1 can be split in two to generate thenew peg 206D, which is assigned to the order information 212, and toallow the remainder of the peg 202B1 to continue leading from therequirement 202B to the supply 204B, albeit optionally indicating areduced amount.

The recorded pegging information can be used for one or more purposes.For example, the pegs 206 can be reviewed by a user, such as a plannerof materials requirements, to analyze the expected flow of material.This can be done by outputting some or all of the pegging information inhuman-understandable form, such as by making a graphical or tabularoutput using the user interface 112.

As another example, the pegging information can be used to control amanufacturing process. This can be done using the manufacturing module120. For example, when the ware corresponding to the supplies 204A or204B are to be manufactured in a plant, it can be determined that thesesupplies have the order information 212 pegged to them. Accordingly, theorder information can be accessed by the manufacturing system and itscontents can alter or control the process in any way. The sales ordercan indicate that the ware should be configured in a customer-specificway, or that the timeliness of the delivery is extra critical for thiscustomer, to name just a few examples. Thus, the updated pegginginformation can be used to control manufacture of the ware for the orderaccording to the supply information.

The particular supply with which a sales order is to be matched can beselected in different ways. Many different kinds of consumption logiccan be used, and the ones described herein are a few examples thereof.In some implementations, the consumption logic 124 can provide that theorder is attempted to be matched against any existing supplies in apriority order. Such a priority order can include

-   -   (1) first attempting to match the order against any supply in a        same time section as the order;    -   (2) if no match is found in (1), thereafter attempting to match        the order against any supply in a time section adjacent the same        time section as the order; and:    -   (3) if no match is found in (1) and (2), thereafter attempting        to match the order against any supply in a time section earlier        than the same time section as the order. When a suitable supply        If no available supply has been identified after (1)-(3), no        available supply or stock may exist. In such a situation, an        output can be generated to a user. As another example, a new        supply can automatically be generated, for example by the supply        module 118.

The pegging information can be used to provide a user with access tosupplies and/or requirement information. Such an access can serve manydifferent purposes. For example, it can be possible for a user to lookup the order information for a particular sales order, and from therenavigate to one or more portions of supply information corresponding tothat order. For example, a user can view the order information 212 inthe user interface 212 and from there navigate to screens for any or allof the supplies 204A or 204B or to the stock 208. Accordingly, theaccess can indicate the supply information as being associated with theorder information.

From a supply information, moreover, the user may be able to navigate toanother requirement that is also pegged to that supply. For example,after navigating to the supply 204B, the user may also be able tonavigate to the requirement 202B which is also pegged thereto. Thus,when the supply information is also associated with another requirementinformation, access can be provided to the other requirement informationthrough the order information. Such a navigation may be undertaken forseveral reasons, for example to further analyze the material flow.

As another example, it can help the user address a shortage of supplyfor an actual demand. Assume, for example, that the sales ordercorresponding to the order information 212 should later be increased todemand a higher quantity of ware than originally. This can occur when arevision of the order information is obtained that changes an aspect ofthe order. In some implementations, the system can select quantity froma forecasted demand of any existing requirement that has not beenconsumed. As another example, however, it may be possible for the userto navigate to one or more requirements and select the one that is to beconsumed to address the increased demand. For example, from the orderinformation 212, which is to be increased in quantity, the user cannavigate to the requirement 202B and analyze whether it should be (atleast partially) consumed to address the shortage. Navigation to thatother requirement information can be provided using the pegginginformation 206. Thus, when a supply information does not fully coverthe demand for the ware by the order, the user can select to have atleast some of another requirement information consumed by the demand ofthe order. The pegging information can then be updated according to therevision. Any aspect of an order can be changed, for example a deliverydate of the order and/or a quantity of the ware demanded by the order.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a method 300 that can be performed formanaging supply and demand of a ware. For example, the method 300 can beexecuted by a processor executing instructions stored in acomputer-readable storage medium. In some implementations, the method300 is performed in the system 100.

The method 300 includes, in step 302, obtaining requirement informationfor a ware, the requirement information representing a forecasted demandfor the ware at a specified time. For example the requirementinformation 202 can be obtained from the planning module 116.

The method 300 includes, in step 304, updating, using the obtainedrequirement information, an existing requirement information in one ofthe time sections to which the obtained requirement information applies.The existing requirement information is associated with an existingsupply information in an existing pegging information. For example, therequirement 202C can be obtained by updating the requirement 202D.

The method 300 includes, in step 306, generating supply information forthe ware representing that a quantity of the ware is to be supplied. Forexample, the supply information 204 can be generated by the supplymodule 118.

The method 300 includes, in step 308, identifying the supply informationby searching, using the specified time, a time scale of supply dates inreverse chronological order starting at the specified time. For example,the time scale 200 can be searched to identify any of the supplyinformation 204.

The method 300 includes, in step 310, generating pegging informationthat associates the requirement information with the supply information.For example, pegging information 206 can be generated by pegging logic122.

The method 300 includes, in step 312, obtaining order information forthe ware representing an order that matches the specified time and thatcomprises a demand for the ware. For example, order information 212 canbe obtained using the CRM system 102.

The method 300 includes, in step 314, modifying the requirementinformation, in response to the order information, to indicate aconsumption of the forecasted demand by the demand of the order. Forexample, the requirements 202A or 202B can be modified by theconsumption logic 124.

The method 300 includes, in step 316, updating the pegging information,in response to the order information, to associate the order informationwith the supply information. Any remainder of the forecasted demand ofthe requirement information that is not consumed by the order remainsassociated with the supply information in the pegging information. Forexample, the peg 206A1 can be reassigned to the order information 212.

The method 300 includes, in step 318, obtaining a revision of the orderinformation that changes an aspect of the order. For example, the orderinformation 212 can change in quantity or delivery date.

The method 300 includes, in step 320, updating the pegging informationaccording to the revision. For example, some additional amount of theforecasted demand of the requirement 202B can be taken for the orderinformation 212.

The method 300 includes, in step 322, providing a user with access tothe order information. The access indicates the supply information asassociated with the order information by the updated pegginginformation, and the supply information is also associated with anotherrequirement information. For example, the user interface 112 can provideaccess to the order information 212, and can indicate that it is peggedto the supplies 204A and B and to the stock 208.

The method 300 includes, in step 324, providing access to the otherrequirement information through the order information. For example, theuser can navigate from the order information 212 to the supply 204B andfrom there to the requirement 202B.

The method 300 includes, in step 326, providing that the user can selectto have at least some of the other requirement information consumed bythe demand of the order. For example, the requirement 202B can beconsumed by the order information 212.

The method 300 includes, in step 328, using the updated pegginginformation to control manufacture of the ware for the order accordingto the supply information. For example, pegging information can be usedto provide relevant specifications to the manufacturing module 120.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a generic computer system 400. Thesystem 400 can be used for the operations described in association withany of the computer-implement methods described previously, according toone implementation. The system 400 includes a processor 410, a memory420, a storage device 430, and an input/output device 440. Each of thecomponents 410, 420, 430, and 440 are interconnected using a system bus450. The processor 410 is capable of processing instructions forexecution within the system 400. In one implementation, the processor410 is a single-threaded processor. In another implementation, theprocessor 410 is a multi-threaded processor. The processor 410 iscapable of processing instructions stored in the memory 420 or on thestorage device 430 to display graphical information for a user interfaceon the input/output device 440.

The memory 420 stores information within the system 400. In oneimplementation, the memory 420 is a computer-readable medium. In oneimplementation, the memory 420 is a volatile memory unit. In anotherimplementation, the memory 420 is a non-volatile memory unit.

The storage device 430 is capable of providing mass storage for thesystem 400. In one implementation, the storage device 430 is acomputer-readable medium. In various different implementations, thestorage device 430 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, anoptical disk device, or a tape device.

The input/output device 440 provides input/output operations for thesystem 400. In one implementation, the input/output device 440 includesa keyboard and/or pointing device. In another implementation, theinput/output device 440 includes a display unit for displaying graphicaluser interfaces.

The features described can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or incombinations of them. The apparatus can be implemented in a computerprogram product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in amachine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for executionby a programmable processor; and method steps can be performed by aprogrammable processor executing a program of instructions to performfunctions of the described implementations by operating on input dataand generating output. The described features can be implementedadvantageously in one or more computer programs that are executable on aprogrammable system including at least one programmable processorcoupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data andinstructions to, a data storage system, at least one input device, andat least one output device. A computer program is a set of instructionsthat can be used, directly or indirectly, in a computer to perform acertain activity or bring about a certain result. A computer program canbe written in any form of programming language, including compiled orinterpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including asa stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or otherunit suitable for use in a computing environment.

Suitable processors for the execution of a program of instructionsinclude, by way of example, both general and special purposemicroprocessors, and the sole processor or one of multiple processors ofany kind of computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructionsand data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. Theessential elements of a computer are a processor for executinginstructions and one or more memories for storing instructions and data.Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled tocommunicate with, one or more mass storage devices for storing datafiles; such devices include magnetic disks, such as internal hard disksand removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and optical disks. Storagedevices suitable for tangibly embodying computer program instructionsand data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way ofexample semiconductor memory devices, such as EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits).

To provide for interaction with a user, the features can be implementedon a computer having a display device such as a CRT (cathode ray tube)or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor for displaying information tothe user and a keyboard and a pointing device such as a mouse or atrackball by which the user can provide input to the computer.

The features can be implemented in a computer system that includes aback-end component, such as a data server, or that includes a middlewarecomponent, such as an application server or an Internet server, or thatincludes a front-end component, such as a client computer having agraphical user interface or an Internet browser, or any combination ofthem. The components of the system can be connected by any form ormedium of digital data communication such as a communication network.Examples of communication networks include, e.g., a LAN, a WAN, and thecomputers and networks forming the Internet.

The computer system can include clients and servers. A client and serverare generally remote from each other and typically interact through anetwork, such as the described one. The relationship of client andserver arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

A number of embodiments have been described. Nevertheless, it will beunderstood that various modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of this disclosure. Accordingly, other embodimentsare within the scope of the following claims.

1. A computer-implemented method for managing supply and demand for aware, the method comprising: obtaining requirement information for aware, the requirement information comprising a forecasted demand for theware at a specified time; generating supply information for the warerepresenting that a quantity of the ware is to be supplied; generatinginitial pegging information that associates the forecasted demand withthe supply information; obtaining order information for the ware, theorder information comprising an actual demand for the ware andrepresenting an order that matches the specified time; identifying, inresponse to the order information, a first portion of the forecasteddemand that is consumed by the actual demand of the order, and a secondportion of the forecasted demand that is not consumed by the actualdemand of the order; and updating the initial pegging information toproduce updated pegging information, including reassigning associationwith the supply information from the first portion of the forecasteddemand to the order information comprising the actual demand, whereinassociation between the supply information and the second portion of theforecasted demand is maintained.
 2. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein a consumption logic identifies the first portion of theforecasted demand and the second portion of the forecasted demand. 3.The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein a time scale forrecording orders and requirements is divided into time sections, andwherein the consumption logic provides that the order is attempted to bematched against any existing supplies in a priority order of: (1) firstagainst any supply in a same time section as the order; (2) if no matchis found in (1), thereafter against any supply in a time sectionadjacent the same time section as the order; and (3) if no match isfound in (1) and (2), thereafter against any supply in a time sectionearlier than the same time section as the order.
 4. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the updating of theinitial pegging information is based on the consumption logic.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising: obtaining arevision of the order information that changes an aspect of the order;and revising the updated pegging information according to the revision.6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the aspect of theorder is at least one selected from a delivery date of the order and aquantity of the ware demanded by the order.
 7. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein generating the initial pegging informationcomprises identifying the supply information, to which the requirementinformation is to be associated, by: identifying the supply informationby searching, using the specified time, a time scale of supply dates inreverse chronological order starting at the specified time.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a time scale forrecording orders and requirements is divided into time sections, andwherein the time scale is configured to use only one requirementinformation for the ware per time section.
 9. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 8, further comprising: updating, using the obtainedrequirement information, an existing requirement information in one ofthe time sections to which the obtained requirement information applies,the existing requirement information associated with an existing supplyinformation in an existing pegging information; wherein the pegginginformation indicates that the requirement information is associatedwith the supply information for an extent to which the existing supplyinformation does not cover the forecasted demand for the ware.
 10. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: providing auser with access to the order information, the access indicating thesupply information as associated with the order information by theupdated pegging information, wherein the supply information is alsoassociated with another requirement information; and providing access tothe another requirement information that comprises additional forecasteddemand for the ware through the order information.
 11. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the supply informationdoes not fully cover the actual demand for the ware by the order,further comprising: providing that the user can select to have at leastsome of the additional forecasted demand of the another requirementinformation consumed by the actual demand of the order.
 12. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the ware is at least oneselected from a product and a service.
 13. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, further comprising: using the updated pegginginformation to control manufacture of the ware for the order accordingto the supply information.
 14. A computer program product tangiblyembodied in a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructionsthat when executed by a processor perform a method for managing supplyand demand for a ware, the method comprising: obtaining requirementinformation for a ware, the requirement information comprising aforecasted demand for the ware at a specified time; generating supplyinformation for the ware representing that a quantity of the ware is tobe supplied; generating initial pegging information that associates theforecasted demand with the supply information; obtaining orderinformation for the ware, the order information comprising an actualdemand for the ware and representing an order that matches the specifiedtime; identifying, in response to the order information, a first portionof the forecasted demand that is consumed by the actual demand of theorder, and a second portion of the forecasted demand that is notconsumed by the actual demand of the order; and updating the initialpegging information to produce updated pegging information, includingreassigning association with the supply information from the firstportion of the forecasted demand to the order information comprising theactual demand, wherein association between the supply information andthe second portion of the forecasted demand is maintained.
 15. Thecomputer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions thatcause the identification of the first portion of the forecasted demandand the second portion of the forecasted demand are comprised in aconsumption logic.
 16. The computer program product of claim 15, whereina time scale for recording orders and requirements is divided into timesections, and wherein the consumption logic provides that the order isattempted to be matched against any existing supplies in a priorityorder of: (1) first against any supply in a same time section as theorder; (2) if no match is found in (1), thereafter against any supply ina time section adjacent the same time section as the order; and (3) ifno match is found in (1) and (2), thereafter against any supply in atime section earlier than the same time section as the order.
 17. Thecomputer program product of claim 15, wherein the instructions thatcause the updating of the initial pegging information are based on theconsumption logic.
 18. A computer system comprising: a planning moduleobtaining requirement information for a ware, the requirementinformation comprising a forecasted demand for the ware at a specifiedtime; a supply module generating supply information for the warerepresenting that a quantity of the ware is to be supplied; pegginglogic generating initial pegging information that associates theforecasted demand with the supply information; an order module obtainingorder information for the ware, the order information comprising anactual demand for the ware and representing an order that matches thespecified time; consumption logic identifying, in response to the orderinformation, a first portion of the forecasted demand that is consumedby the actual demand of the order, and a second portion of theforecasted demand that is not consumed by the actual demand of theorder; wherein the pegging logic updates the initial pegging informationto produce updated pegging information, including reassigningassociation with the supply information from the first portion of theforecasted demand to the order information comprising the actual demand,wherein association between the supply information and the secondportion of the forecasted demand is maintained.